Air conditioning apparatus for vehicles



w. B. EMERICH 2,493,122

Jan. 3, 1950 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES 3 Shets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 4, 1945 Q Inventor 0612mm fl [me/"rich,

Jan. 3, 1950 w. BLEMERICH 2,493,122

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES Filed 00;. 4, 1945 5Sheets-Sheet 2 j 33 Inventor 9 Mzzmm 3. Imen'/g Jan. 3, 1950 w, B,EMERICH 2,493,122

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES Filed Oct. 4, 1945 5Sheets-Sheet 3 5 p i I u uelltor Patented Jan. 3, 1950 AIR CONDITIONINGAPPARATUS FOR VEHICLES William B. Emerich, Evansville, Ind.

Application October 4, 1945, Serial No. 620,279

This invention relates to an air conditioning apparatus for vehicles,and more particularly to a built-in device adapted to be utilized formotor vehicles, such as passenger cars, or the like, for supplyingheated or cool fresh air to the interior of the vehicle and exhaustingstale air from the same.

A primary object of this invention is to condition the interior of amotor vehicle, such as a passenger car, by removal of stale air andfumes therefrom by continuously supplying fresh air thereto, eitherheated or cool, in accordance with prevailing weather conditions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such an apparatuswhich will operate without the use of electrical current, andcorresponding drain on the batteries of the vehicle.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of a suctionmotor adapted to be driven by the air intake to the carburetor of theinternal combustion engine of the vehicle, the latter providing the solesource of power for the motor.

A further important feature of the invention is the provision of heatingmeans in the path of air admitted to the interior of the vehicle heatedsolely by water from the radiator of the vehicle.

A further important feature of the invention is the provision of arelatively compact unitary device which may be formed as an integralpart of a motor vehicle, and which will provide continuous circulationof fresh air therethrough at all times as may be desired.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as thedescription of the invention proceeds and shown in the accompanyingdrawin s, wherein there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of thisinventive concept.

In the drawings:

1 is side view partially in elevation and partially in section showingthe apparatus comprising a feature of the instant invention as appliedto a motor vehicle, only fragments of the latter being shown,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 ofFigure 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along theline 33 of Figure 2 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line l l ofFigure 3 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows,

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the radiator unit used in thepresent invention,

5 Claims. (01. 237-123) Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 66 of Figure 3, as viewed in the direction indicated bythe arrows, and

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially alon the line l-'! ofFigure 3, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows. v

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the draw- Ings.

Having'reierence now to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1and 2, there is generally indicated at In a motor vehicle, such as apassenger car, including an internal combustion engine [I having aradiator [2, a carburetor l3, and a carburetor inlet M. The vehicleincludes a floor l5, front and rear seats I6 and I'll, respectively, ahood it) provided with a cowl i9 and having a cowl air inlet 20 providedwith the customary louver 2|.

From the air inlet 20 a conduit 22 leads to a housing 23, within whichis mounted a blower 24, carried by an axle suitably journaled in theside walls of housing 23, and extended into a casing 24a beneath thehousing 23. A portion of the axle 25 in the casing 26 is provided withair impelling blades 27. As best shown in Figure '7, casin 25 isprovided, with an outlet 28 from which a conduit 29 leads to the airintake Id of the carburetor I3. From the inlet 30 of the casing 2E, aconduit 3| leads beneath the floor I5 of the vehicle to a register 32preferably. positioned vertically in the ledge of the rear seat ll, theregister 32 forming an air inlet for the casing 26 in the interior ofthe vehicle.

Referring back to the casing 26, it will be seen that the same isprovided with an integral bypass channel or passage 33 extending aroundsubstantially one half the outer wall 34 of the casing 25, to provide aby-pass passage from the inlet 38 to the outlet 28. A butterfly valvepivotally mounted, as at 35, and controlled in any desired manner, as,for example, from a. remote point on the dashboard of the vehicle,directs air from the inlet so either through the suction motor comprisedof the blades 21 or around the same through the by-pass 33.

From the foregoing, it will now be seen that when the motor II is inoperation, the suction in the air inlet leading to the carburetor willdraw air from the register 32 through the suction motor, thus rotatingthe blades of the same when the butterfly valve 35 is in the positionshown in full lines in Figure '7. Obviously, when the valve is in thedotted line position, and the air is by-passed around the suction motor,the same,

. 3 will be rendered inoperative. Rotation of the blades 21 willcorrespondingly rotate the axle 25, and through the blower 24 pass airfrom the inlet 22 through a passage 40 into a receptacle or radiatorunit 4|, which contains a plurality of water-filled cells 43, connectedin the customary manner, and adapted to have warm water circulatedtherethrough, the water entering through an inlet 44 connected as by atube,4 5 to an outlet 46 of the water circulating system of the engine.A valve 48 may be utilized to control the admission of hot water to thecells. An outlet 49, connects with a tube 50 which in turn provides areturn line to the water circulating system: Obviously, the flow ofwater to and from the cells" may be controlled by means of the. valve48, and the hot water circulation may be shut off entirely when it isdesired toadnirt 'coolair to the vehicle. Receptacle 4| is providedwith, two outlets 5| and 52, the outlet 5| opening directly into theinterior of. the vehicle adjacent the front seat It. thereof, and thebpnmg SZIe irtendme into a tupfbri condu t 5.3 whichextends beneath thefloor of the vehicles'to a register. 54 positioned between the front'andrear seats.

From the'forego' g, it 'will nQli/Lfb, seen that there is herein' pridedi'af'conditioning system f r hi esf ylm. moi whic fresh ir may beconstantly circulatedinto'an'd' out or the m t r, vehicle, which fresh,air, ma5 be readily heated in the manner previouslyf'described', andwhich accomplishes all'thef'objects, of this invention and others;including many" aiillnl a cs, of great practical. utility. andcommercial importance.

As many embodiments'n ay'be' made oi'this inventive concept, and"a'sniany, mQdifications may be made in" the embodiment hereinbefore shownand'de'scrib ed; his to be understood that all matter herein isjto'ibeilinterpreted rn'erelyas illustrative and notin a limitingfs'enise,

Iblaim: V

1. air conditioning apparatus for motor ehi sjco n s na let. neans er.iv in airj intoand outlet means forwithdraw'ng air, from the interioroia rntor vehicle, an air blower in di tme n n 'irimq fi l o t t meaqlaera e, ythe w of, i berihmue rivin means connecting said motoflwithsaid blower, said outlet means. be ng "connected with the. carburetorair intake of 'a vehicle moto'r, a bypass about said air motor, and avalve, controlling.

said by-passl The b nat n. o la m 1 wher a i inlet means has an inletopening q ni tm with the atmosphere "3', air conditioning apparatus formotor vehicles comprising means for constantly drawing air intothevehicle, circulating said'airwithin 4 said vehicle and discharging saidair into the carburetor air intake of the engine of said vehicle, meansfor heating said air from the waste heat of said engine before itsintroduction into the interior of said vehicle, blower means for causinga flow of air through said first means, motor means for driving saidblower said motor means being operated by the movement of air during itsdischarging into said induction system, and a valved by-pass about saidmotor means.

4. In a motor vehicle having a cooling system, a carburetor having anair intake and a, cowl air. inlet; an air, conditioning apparatus comrY- prismg a housing having an inlet and outlet, a conduit between theinlet of said housing and said cowl for supplying air into the housing,a casing carried by said housing and having an inlet "andou'tle't,another conduit connecting the outlet of said casing to the air intakeof the carburetor, a shaft extending through the housing and,the casing,first blades mounted onsaid shaft and disposed in said casing andadapted to draw airinto the inlet of said casing upon rotation of saidfirst blades, second blades mounted on said shaft, and rotatable: withsaid first blades, said se'condfblades. being disposed in said housingfor directing air through the outlet of said housing upon rotation ofsaid secondblades, an air heater carriedb rsaid housing and having aninlet port connected. to' the, outlet of, saidv housingf'and anoutletldisposed in" theinterior' of the: vehicle, said l'i'eaterbeingconnectedt'o the cooling systembf, the vehiclefa by-p'assQaboutsaidcasingand be tween. the inlet ari'dYoutlet thereof, andl'valve meanscontiolling'said by.-pass'.'

"5. The conibinationof claim 1 wherein said.

valvev means is, disposed at' the inlet of said,

casing forselectively blocking the entrance of airintosaid casing andsaid byepass.

' WILLIAM B. EMERICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file .ofthis patent:

onrrnp STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 13512553 Caller Jan. 7, 19301,986,405 Mears Jan. 1, 1935 2,072,744 Findley Mar. 2, 1937 1 2,021,696,Cornell May 25, 1937 2,100,281- Hueber et a1 Nov. 23, 19.37 2,105,497Palmer Jan. 18, 1938- -2 ,116,145 Findley May 3, 1938 2,146,855, BayneFeb. 14, 1939 2,218,265 Norwood Oct. 15, 1940 2 ,316,421. Hans Apr. 13,1943,

